Viruses are everywhere and they affect animals, birds, and humans in different ways. Some of them are curable while others are not. For many years, some of the well-known scientists have been working on a vaccine for the Ebola virus. Now, they are all suddenly looking for a vaccine to cure COVID-19. In 2019-2020, COVID-19 spread as a pandemic among people and made them severely ill. Hundreds of thousands of people have died to date because of this disease. Many have recovered, but the pandemic is still spreading and resulting in more infections every passing day.
The virus enters your body to infect your healthy cells and kills them. After infecting your healthy cells, the virus makes your immune system weak. Due to a weak immune system, COVID-19 will cause a harmful effect on your respiratory system, especially your lungs. The official name of the Coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- Coronavirus-2).
The first case of COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, in November 2019. In June 2020, there are more than eight million cases and around four hundred thousand deaths due to COVID-19.
What Are the Symptoms of COVID-19?
We can all see how fast the virus is spreading worldwide, due to which the WHO (World Health Organization) has declared it as a global health emergency. The Coronavirus directly infects your respiratory system. When the virus damages the healthy cells, some people get too sick and start having severe symptoms, while others feel nothing except some mild symptoms of common cold and flu. Below are the symptoms you may identify in a Coronavirus patient;
- Cough
- Fever or chills
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Loss of taste or smell
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Nausea or vomiting
- Congestion or runny nose
- Excessive drowsiness
- Diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
- Confusion
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- Blue lips or face
These symptoms appear after 2 to 14 days, and they are the most common symptoms. It is important to call your physician to provide you with vital information that can help you. In case you feel any of the above symptoms, the first course of action should be to isolate yourself and stop others from getting the virus.
How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19
People are scared and wondering if there is a way they can get through this pandemic. Well, as per doctors and health specialists, there are a number of ways you can protect yourself from this virus, but first, let’s look into how the infection spreads.
The infection is transmitted through droplets in the air, on surfaces, and mainly from one person to another. When an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs in front of you, they spread the droplets of the virus in the air. As soon as you inhale those droplets, you may start getting sick within 2 to 14 days.
One of the reasons the virus is spreading so fast is that it can survive for several hours and even days on surfaces. An infected person sneezes in their hands, touches a surface, and leaves the virus there. A healthy person then touches that surface unknowingly and contracts the virus.
As of yet, there is no vaccine against the Coronavirus, and most people are vulnerable. So, it would be better to take precautions to protect yourself and others from the infection. Following are the preventions that everyone should adopt.
- Wash your hands for almost 20 seconds with an anti-bacterial soap several times a day.
- When you go out in public places, wear a medical mask, and cover your face properly.
- Maintain social distancing; keep 6 feet away from other people, including both sick and all the household members.
- Cover your face with a tissue paper or handkerchief while sneezing or coughing.
- Don’t use anything without disinfecting it first.
- Disinfect objects before and after touching them.
Things You Can Do to Treat COVID-19 Symptoms
Currently, there is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for COVID-19. All of them are still under study, and some of them are under trials. Some temporary treatments only take care of the symptoms of the disease.
The first priority for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms is to look for medical help. A doctor or any health service provider can recommend you suitable treatment according to your symptom. They might direct you to emergency treatment if you have any complications like difficulty in breathing. Only a doctor can guide and offer you the best treatment.
Some experimental treatments that can cure or manage symptoms of the COVID-19 disease are in the development stages in countries. These treatments are still under observation to see how effective they are. Here are a few of them.
- Antiviral or retroviral medicines
- Blood plasma transfusions
- Steroids to ease the swelling of lungs
- Use of portable ventilators to treat breathing problems
Who Is at High Risk?
Everyone is at high risk because no one is immune to this virus right now. Once you come in contact with a COVID-19 patient, the chances of you getting infected are quite high. Without any preventive measures, we are all at high risk of contracting the virus.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), people above 60 years old and those who have health conditions like obesity, cancer, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases are at higher risk than others. They can develop more severe complications. Following are the complications these people can have if they have COVID-19.
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- Severe muscle pain (myalgia)
- Unbalanced heart rate (arrhythmia)
- Cardiovascular shock
- Stroke or heart attack
- fatigue
Even if you are taking all the precautions, you still have to maintain distance from your elders and sick family members. None of us wish to see our loved ones suffer.
Conclusion
Several active cases of COVID-19 in a single town increase your chances of getting the virus. You must follow all the national and local health advice to protect yourself. While taking these precautionary measures, keep a smile on your face. Depression and stress can be the biggest enemies to your immune system right now. Wash your hands regularly, keep a pocket-sized hand sanitizer with you when you go out, keep a distance of at least 6-feet from people, and be mentally strong.